


rise

by thegrayness



Category: Schitt's Creek (TV) RPF
Genre: Baking, First Dates, M/M, carbs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-03
Updated: 2020-06-03
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:35:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,829
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24516250
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thegrayness/pseuds/thegrayness
Summary: For their first date, Noah asks Dan to have lunch with him.
Relationships: Dan Levy/Noah Reid
Comments: 10
Kudos: 52





	rise

**Author's Note:**

  * For [DisgruntledPelican](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DisgruntledPelican/gifts).



> Prompt: Noah teaches Dan how to cook, Dan teaches Noah how to present a meal that is aesthetically pleasing.
> 
> Soooo, it's like. Kind of the prompt. Hope you like it! 
> 
> Liz: Thanks for the validation and general you-ness.  
> TINN: Thanks for title and beta. Etc.

Noah catches him as he’s about to get into his car to head home from set. 

“Hey,” he says, then pauses for too long, biting his lip, hesitating. He’s changed out of his Patrick clothes, wearing a t-shirt and sweats, sunglasses pushed to the top of his head. They’re halfway through season 4—filming on location—and it’s been a few weeks since their flirting extended right past _cut_ and into a cast dinner at a nearby restaurant.

“...Hi,” Dan replies. He’s breathless, for some reason, just from standing in Noah’s presence, and it’d be embarrassing if Noah wasn't also looking quite flushed. 

“Hi,” Noah repeats, and then laughs. “Sorry. I—I had like a speech prepared but—ah, this is—” he looks down at his feet and rubs his hand over the back of his neck. 

Dan bites his lip—Noah looks adorably nervous, but Dan doesn’t want to think about why and get his hopes up. 

Noah takes a deep breath. “Wondering if you’re free for lunch this weekend?” He says, then lets out a harsh exhale again. “Wow I sound really nervous, huh?”

Dan nods, smiling. “I am free for lunch this weekend.” 

“Oh,” Noah says, sounding surprised. Dan raises a brow. “I just—didn’t plan for you to be available.” He laughs at himself, and Dan lets out a short laugh too. 

“I mean—I do have some pretty big couch plans with Redmond…”

“Oh, sure, of course. I’m—I’m honored you can work me into your schedule.”

“Mm. So I’ll—see you tomorrow? What time were you thinking?”

“About that… I have a—well—I have an idea. We’ll need a few hours—“

Dan raises his eyebrows.

“—Not for that!” Noah exclaims and Dan feels his brows climb higher. “Oh my god.” Noah rubs a hand over his face. “We’ll use your kitchen, I’ll bring the groceries.” He says with a sense of finality. 

“It’s a date,” Dan says, looking at Noah and fumbling with the car door. 

Noah grins and darts forward, planting a quick kiss on Dan’s cheek before hurrying off to his own car. 

*

Dan spends much of the morning focusing on cleaning, so he doesn’t have time to get nervous until the doorbell rings and then he feels like he might throw up because he realizes this is basically their _first date_. 

Redmond barks when he takes too long to answer the door, and Dan shushes him, and then hears faint laughter through the door. He spares another second for the distress of embarrassing himself before the date even starts before pulling open the door. 

Noah’s standing there holding a grocery tote and a six-pack of beer, wearing a devastatingly hot ensemble of a white t-shirt and jeans. Dan’s breathless again when he speaks. “Come in,” he breathes. He steps back to let Noah through the door, blocking Redmond with a foot so Noah can set his bags down. 

Redmond has met Noah before, so Dan isn’t worried, but he doesn’t need Noah tripping over his dog while Dan’s in the middle of trying to make a good first-date impression. 

Dan nosily peeks into the bag on the counter while Noah greets Red, pulling out flour and—

“Hey, no cheating,” Noah says, coming to stand next to Dan in front of the counter. 

“Oh—didn’t realize it was a surprise,” Dan says softly, nudging Noah’s shoulder. 

“I guess that depends on how you feel about it.”

“It’s not—organized sports, is it? Not that I didn’t… _enjoy_ the baseball game last year…”

“It’s not organized sports. You _did_ go 3-for-4 though, I was impressed.” Noah laughs and pulls items from the bag. “You like bread, right Dan?”

“That better be a rhetorical question—”

“We’re making bread.”

“ _We’re_ making bread. Like you and me. Not… _you’re_ making _me_ bread?”

“Nope. We’re making it together. Actually—you’re making it. I’m supervising.”

“Why don’t I supervise?”

“Because I’m the one who knows how to make bread.”

“You don’t know if I can make bread!” Dan is _offended_ at the assumption. 

“ _Can_ you make bread?”

Dan plucks at the package of flour that Noah’s just put on the counter. He is officially also offended that Noah thinks he doesn’t have flour, but also very pleased that Noah brought flour. Because he doesn’t have flour and he really wants homemade bread. 

“Fine, I’ll let you teach me how to make bread. How fun for you.”

“It _will_ be fun.” Noah’s grinning at him, and Dan’s apathetic facade crumbles quickly under his gaze. He rolls his eyes and smiles back. 

“Okay, this better be the best lunch we’ve ever had,” Dan says, putting his hands on his hips. 

Noah pulls the last item out of the bag. “It will be.”

*

“I really got my hopes up waiting to watch you knead the bread in this… _shirt_ ,” Dan says, pinching at the fabric of one of Noah’s sleeves.

“So sorry to disappoint.” Noah grins and gives Dan a pretty obvious once over. “You’ll be fine to knead in that,” he says about Dan’s loose sweater and dark jeans. 

Dan feels himself flush and swallows nervously. “Sure,” he says faintly, poking at the ball of dough on his counter. 

“Here,” Noah murmurs, gently taking Dan’s floury hand in his own and using his other hand to tug the sleeve of Dan’s sweater carefully up his arm. He does the same for Dan’s other hand, looking up at Dan through his lashes every few moments. 

Dan’s biting his lip, very concerned that he’s just going to tip forward and plant his mouth right on Noah’s. “Thanks,” he whispers.

“Okay, so—you know what kneading is, so I’m going to let you do that.”

“Okay, _but_ , what if I need guidance. Maybe I need, like, a quick _demo…_?” He nudges the dough toward Noah. “Just to see the right method.”

Noah stares at Dan for a minute, and Dan thinks he’s genuinely going to say no, but then his face cracks into a grin and he rubs flour on his own hands. “Fine. Pay attention.”

“Oh, I’m paying attention.” Dan nods enthusiastically, leaning close as Noah begins pressing the heel of his hand into the dough.

Dan leers at Noah for a few minutes, takes minimal mental notes on kneading, and then Noah’s stopping and nudging the dough back over. “You can do this,” Noah says, picking up both of Dan’s hands and placing them on the dough. Dan smiles to himself as Noah physically moves Dan’s hands into place, pressing them into the motions a few times. 

“Think that’s enough guidance?” Noah asks as he slides his hands away, palms dragging against the backs of Dan’s. He stands back and wipes his hands on a towel. 

“Now, I took a huge leap, here, and assumed you have things to make a cheese plate. What’s the verdict?”

Dan pinches at the dough and gives Noah a _look_. “I obviously have things to make a cheese plate.” He nods towards his fridge. “I look forward to your plating technique.”

Noah laughs. “I’m sure you’ll be very impressed with my technique.” 

Dan tries to focus on the dough to avoid giving away how _that_ makes him feel. 

*

Dan’s sweating—kneading bread is way too much work and this better be the best bread of all time, because Noah’s just informed him that the dough has to rise for “probably a little over an hour.”

“But!” Noah says, clearly sensing what Dan feels is _mild_ displeasure given the circumstances. “Hopefully you will find this cheese plate offering an acceptable trade for waiting. I _promise_ the bread will be worth it.” 

Dan dries his hands on the towel next to the sink and turns to face Noah, who’s standing across the island and holding a very adequately laid out cheese plate. His expression is adorably hopeful, as if Dan is going to turn down a bespoke snack. He walks around the island and takes the cheese board from Noah’s hands to set it back on the counter. 

“No?” Noah says, but the corner of his mouth quirks into a smirk as Dan pulls him closer by the front of his shirt. 

“Cheese is always a yes, Noah,” Dan whispers leaning in close to press a gentle kiss to Noah’s soft lips. Noah makes a noise against Dan’s mouth, and Dan curls his toes against the floor of the kitchen. 

He already knew this, but Noah’s a _really_ good kisser. 

Noah moves forward a bit, backs Dan up against the island and slips his arms around Dan’s waist. Dan clutches at the sides of Noah’s neck, holding him in place, holding Noah where he wants. 

Dan’s not sure how long they stand kissing in the kitchen, but when Noah reaches behind Dan to lean on the counter, he knocks into a bowl, startling them both. They pull back, only a little, and Dan takes in Noah’s pink cheeks and reddened lips. “I bet you picked a meal with a long _rise_ time just to get me desperate in the kitchen,” he murmurs. 

Noah presses his lips briefly to Dan’s jaw before answering. “You caught me.” 

“Please tell me the bread is ready to bake,” Dan says, kissing him again. 

Noah huffs out a laugh and takes a step back. “Let’s look.”

*

“Okay, so,” Dan starts, mouth full. “This is the best lunch ever.”

Noah swallows and wipes his mouth with a napkin. “You made it,” he says, grinning inexplicably at the way Dan is clearly stuffing his face. 

They ate the cheese and crackers while the bread baked, but Dan is definitely eating this entire sandwich. Dan is definitely going to ask Noah where he got this egg salad. He moans a little around his next bite. 

Noah chokes on his own bite. “Dan, please,” he says, taking a gulp of water. 

“ _What_ ?” Dan asks. “It’s _really_ good. I can’t just eat it silently.”

*

Once Noah packs up his grocery tote—leaving the rest of the loaf for Dan, who kisses him deeply in gratitude—Dan leads him over to the front door. “Thanks for this, Noah,” he says quietly. 

“Thanks for having me. Maybe next time you can show me something.” He flushes at his own implication. 

Dan bites the inside of his cheek hard to stop himself from asking Noah to stay for dinner, too, and maybe dessert. He takes a deep breath. “I’m sure I can think of something.”

Noah inhales deeply this time, and flutters his eyes closed for a moment. “I’ll see you Monday, Dan.” 

Dan opens the door for him and watches him walk toward the elevator, before shutting it gently and leaning heavily back against it. He decompresses for a few minutes, though it’s not very effective with Noah’s smile and Noah’s eyes and _god_ Noah’s hands running through his mind. 

He heads back to the kitchen and grabs his phone. 

_I thought of something. You free tomorrow?_


End file.
